Tennessee football: Five key Vols to watch for at Alabama

Who’s going to step up on Saturday? Tennessee football once had a history of specific players turning into superstars when they face the Alabama Crimson Tide. Albert Dorsey set the standard with three interceptions back in 1967, including a pick-six, in the Vols’ 24-13 win against Bear Bryant’s No. 6 ranked team.

Peyton Manning obviously became a breakout star with the Vols’ 41-14 win in Birmingham back in 1995. If the Vols are going to pull off the upset of upsets on Saturday, though, then the standout guy will be reminiscent of Alan Cockrell or Mike Terry in 1982, when UT ended what was Alabama’s longest winning streak in the series before this one.

It’s not likely UT ends Alabama’s 14-game winning streak in the series or Nick Saban’s 15-game winning streak over them this week, but some players could make it interesting. These are the five Vols to watch for when Tennessee football visits Tuscaloosa, Ala. Saturday.

6’1″ 224 pounds

Last week, Jeremy Banks had his usual stats against the Ole Miss Rebels, but he and the rest of the linebackers struggled throughout the game. While the defense shut down Matt Corrall’s passing attack better than expected, they couldn’t account for Corrall’s legs, and he ran for 195 yards on them. Part of that was due to Banks not getting off blocks.

Lucky for Banks, Bryce Young is not as elite with his legs as Corral. As a result, the way to beat Alabama will be for Banks to continue to make big plays. For the year, he has nine tackles for a loss, four and a half sacks and 48 total tackles, 27 of which are solo. All of those stats lead the team. He also has an interception and a pass deflection.

One method to beating Alabama is sacking Young, as they actually aren’t the best when it comes to protecting the quarterback. Tennessee football could thrive in that department. As a result, Banks makes this list. A couple solid pass rushes by him could make this game interesting.